The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-09
The Press and Banner.
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 1887.
The Measles.

As this disease is now prevailing in various
sections of the county, and rs the disease is
often followed by the most serious conSc-
oucnces, we ask attention To an article on the
subject, which is copied from tho AHguS'"
Chronicle As far as we have been able to
learn the difference in the mortality o: the
disease in one section from another. is due
more to the difference of trcntmentand to the
difference Of the surroundings OF the patient
than TO any difference in the character Of the
disease ITSELF Every "measlc patient must he
protected from exposure 10 Il cold for q period
of from ten days to three weeks after the diS'
ease has apparently disappeared, as the lungs
and mucous coat of the bowels arc for some
time very susceptible TO inl!ammatnry at
tackS."
One great danger from which the mcas!C
patient should be most reli.iouSly guarded l.
viz: ignorant friends or inexperienced doc
tors who would physic him will: caomel OF
other strong medicine, to act on the already
irritated bowels.
Great danger "may occur from int'amRla
ton of the air passages: the disease may thus
become complicated, or in subjects prcdlSpoS'
cd to consumption the seeds of that disease
may ue developed. The eyes, too. are sorae'
times left irritable and intlamrd. In all ordi'
nary cases, u simple diet, the maintenance ol
an eouablc temperature, or the exhibition q!
u mild diaphorctic [swcat} or eXpcctorant, Is
all that is required"
While on this subject we wish to remark on
the danger incident to the use of caaomel nj
any time, but more especially in cases OF ty.
nhod fever and measles. A good dose of cal
Of nf n pr
disease is almost certain death, no matter
whether the dose he administered 10y enc OF
those Smart Alexis, who think they are
'"pretty good DOCTORS" or whether the potion
he administered by an ignorant though we'll
meaning doctor.
Typhoid fever is pre- -ep,iHenty disease OF
the bowels, and calomei being violent poi
son and an energetic irritant acts with deadly
'cffcc. upon the luckleSS patient who shall
commit the mistake Of swallowing 1t. Its
evil effect is so uniformly fatal III cases of ty-
phoid fever tlat the physician who prescrihcs
il should he indicted for malpractice, and the
Smart AIick who may give it to any member
of hisown household contrary to the express
provisions OF the law which forbidS him to
practice medicine, should be indicted for
murder.
Even IL calomel should be free from that
Icadltcr poison, corrosive sublimatc, there
is danger in taking it, and none but the
layman. or the :gnoran: doctor, will careless
~ or thoughtlessly administer this poison
which has sent thousands of men and women
to their graves.
Ignorant people should never take any med
icIne which Is not prescribed for them by the
best doctor in the neighborhood.
1t is indeed a fearful thing to take great
draughts Of vile medicine into the stomach,
and he who does it takes his life in his own
hands. There is not drop Of medicine which
is not n poison, and there is no medicine
which is taken into the stomach that does not
affect the great workshop from which all our
vital forces are drawn.